# Incident 20081116850869I: Dhav DHC8311, Philadelphia, PA, November 16, 2008 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 16, 2008, 09:20 local time - Place: Philadelphia, PA - Airport: Philadelphia International - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Landing - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: HNAA - Location: 39.8681° N, 75.2389° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8681&lon=-75.2389&mi=10 - Aircraft: N326EN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N326EN-2018-08-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Boeing Of Canada/Dehav Div DHC-8-311 (registry code 1386006, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-of-canada-dehav-div-dhc-8-311) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 (registry code 52129, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw123) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DHAV DHC8311 - People aboard: 38 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,336 total, 6,253 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09IA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09IA056) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081116850869I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON SUNDAY 11/16/2008, PIEDMONT AIRLINE FLIGHT 4551 (ABE-PHL) DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 27L IN PHL WITH ITS NOSE GEAR STUCK IN THE WHEEL WELL. THE LANDING WAS SMOOTH AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE POINT AT WHICH THERE IS EVIDENCE ON THE RUNWAY OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS CONTACTING THE SURFACE. IT STOPPED BETWEEN TAXIWAYS U AND Y AND THE AIRPORT FIRE PERSONNEL FOAMED THE AIRCRAFT AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THE PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR ONCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GAVE THE "ALL CLEAR." NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED ON-SCENE BY THE 35 PASSENGERS OR 3 AIRLINE CREWMEMBERS. THE CREW REPORTED NO ABNORMALITIES DURING THE FLIGHT UNTIL THEY ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR (ALTHOUGH THEY REPORTED THAT THE NLG TOOK "SEVERAL SECONDS LONGER" TO RETRACT THEN THE MAIN GEAR ON DEPARTURE FROM ABE). AFTER REPORTING THE PROBLEM ON APPROACH IN PHL THEY SPENT APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AIRBORNE WEST OF THE AIRPORT COMMUNICATING WITH DISPATCH AND MCC AND ATTEMPTING TO GET THE GEAR DOWN THROUGH ALTERNATE AND NORMAL EXTENSION METHODS. THE NLG ALTERNATE RELEASE HANDLE REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE BY THE CAPTAIN TO MOVE IT THE REQUIRED 2 NOTCHES BUT THERE WAS NO EFFECT ON THE NLG POSITION. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH AN AIRBAG, THE NOSE WHEELS WERE FOUND TO BE JAMMED AGAINST THE RIGHT SIDEWALL OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE ALTERNATE GEAR RELEASE WAS AGAIN ACTIVATED, THE NLG UPLOCK COULD BE HEARD RELEASING, BUT THE GEAR DID NOT DESCEND UNTIL THE NOSE WHEEL WAS PRIED OFF ITS CONTACT WITH THE SIDEWALL. THE NLG THEN DESCENDED SMOOTHLY WITH NO BINDING AND LOCKED IN PLACE WITH "3 GREEN" INDICATED IN THE COCKPIT WITH NO ADDITIONAL INPUT NEEDED TO THE GEAR. THE NOSE WHEEL COULD BE SMOOTHLY TURNED TO THE LEFT BY HAND BUT COULD NOT BE TURNED RIGHT FROM A CENTERED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL HANGAR INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING FOLLOW-UP LINKS WERE SHEARED FROM THEIR ATTACHMENT SPIGOT ON THE NOSE STRUT AND THE NOSE STEERING ACTUATOR WAS ROTATED UPWARDS ON ITS AXIS APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. ONE OF THE FOLLOW-UP LINKS FOR THE STEERING WAS FOUND TO HAVE COMPLETELY RUPTURED. THE CENTERING MECHANISM FOR THE NOSE WHEELS WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE LOWER STRUT WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE WHEELS TO PIVOT AND COME TO REST AGAINST THE NOSE WHEEL WELL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA09IA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09IA056), Nov 16, 2008: DeHavilland DHC-8-311 (N326EN), Philadelphia, PA, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The mechanical overload of the nosewheel steering links for undetermined reasons, which resulted in nose landing gear rotation and its subsequent wedging within the wheel well structure. ## Other reports on N326EN (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20111119025909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111119025909I), Nov 19, 2011: Boeing Of Canada/Dehav Div DHC-8-311 (N326EN), Roanoke, VA, No damage. Piedmont airlines flight 4237 was departing roa. The aircraft was DHC-8-311, N326EN. The aircraft was on take-off roll when crew received a smoke warning light… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.